Given his status as the world’s biggest movie star and one of the most beloved actors on the planet, Dwayne Johnson can often turn even the most thin of concepts on paper into a box office hit. And that’s exactly what everyone thought he would do with 2017’s Baywatch, which took the property and refitted it into an R-rated action comedy.
Though not a terrible film, it certainly isn’t one of The Rock’s best efforts by any stretch of the imagination. With six writers credited on Baywatch, the tone is a bit all over the place. And while the charisma of Johnson and Zac Efron just about makes it an entertaining enough watch, it’s still considered a flop by many, with plans for it to kick off a new franchise full of sequels and spinoffs never materializing.
It also only made about $177 million off the back of a $69 million budget, so it wasn’t like Paramount earned any sort of significant profit on it, either. Still, the movie is now finding something of a second life on Netflix, with Baywatch currently sitting in #7 on the Top 10 global most-watched films list on the platform.
Indeed, it’s not the first time that the pic has found itself trending on the streaming site and probably won’t be the last, either. Despite its shortcomings, it remains harmless entertainment and Dwayne Johnson is usually pretty watchable no matter what project he’s in, with his charisma and star power always coming through on screen.
Still, it’s a shame that things didn’t turn out better for Baywatch, as the potential was certainly there. Who knows, though? Perhaps if it continues to post strong showings on Netflix, the studio may decide to give it another go one day.
